Encheiridion — Epictetus

Gbe Discourses of Bpictetus 151 fly from the common sort, if you intend ever to begin to be something. On Providence. — When you make any charge against Providence, consider, and you will learn that the thing has happened according to reason. Yes, but the unjust man has the advantage. In what ? In money. Yes, for he is superior to you in this, that he flatters, is free from shame, and is watchful. What is the wonder ?

But see if he has the advantage over you in being faithful, in being modest ; for you will not find it to be so ; but wherein you are superior, there you will find that you have the advantage. And I once said to a man who was vexed because Philostorgus was fortunate : Would you choose to lie with Sura ? May it never happen, he replied, that this day should come ?

Why then are you vexed, if he receives something in return for that which he sells ; or how can you consider him happy who acquires those things by such means as you abominate ; or what wrong does Providence, if he gives the better things to the better men ? Is it not better to be modest than to be rich ? He admitted this. Why are you vexed then, man, when you possess the better thing ? Remember then always and have in readiness the truth, that this is a law of nature, that the superior has an

152 Gbe discourses of Bpictetus advantage over the inferior in that in which lie is superior ; and you will never be vexed. But my wife treats me badly. Well, if any man asks you what this is, say, my wife treats me badly. Is there then nothing more? Nothing. My father gives me nothing. [What is this ? my father gives me nothing. Is there nothing else then ?

Nothing] ; but to say that this is an evil is something which must be added to it externally, and falsely added. For this reason we must not get rid of poverty, but of the opinion about poverty, and then we shall be happy.

About Cynicism. — When one of his pupils inquired of Epictetus, and he was a person who appeared to be inclined to Cynicism, what kind of person a Cynic ought to be, and what was the notion {it poXr^ii") of the thing, we will inquire, said Epictetus, at leisure : but I have so much to say to you that he who without God attempts so great a matter, is hateful to God, and has no other purpose than to act indecently in public.

In the first place, in the things which relate to yourself, you must not be in any respect like what you do now ; you must not blame God or man ; you must take away desire altogether, you must transfer avoidance (ehkXhjiS) only to

Gbe 2>tscourses of jEpictetus 153 the things which are within the power of the will ; you must not feel anger nor resentment or envy nor pity ; a girl must not appear handsome to you, nor must you love a little reputation, nor be pleased with a boy or a cake. For you ought to know that the rest of men throw walls around them and houses and darkness when they do any such things, and they have many means of concealment.

A man shuts the door, he sets somebody before the chamber : if a person comes, say that he is out, he is not at leisure. But the Cynic instead of all these things must use modesty as his protection ; if he does not, he will be indecent in his nakedness and under the open sky. This is his house, his door ; this is the slave before his bedchamber ; this is his darkness.

For he ought not to wish to hide anything that he does ; and if he does, he is gone, he has lost the character of a Cynic, of a man who lives under the open sky, of a free man ; he has begun to fear some external thing, he has begun to have need of concealment, nor can he get concealment when he chooses. For where shall he hide himself and how?

And if by chance this public instructor shall be detected, this paedagogue, what kind of things will he be compelled to suffer? when then a man fears these things, is it possible for him to be bold